The Camelot Spell - Laura Anne Gilman [77]
“Magic is power,” Ailis went on. “It’s not physical strength, but the ability to do, to create. The Grail is supposed to have that—the ability to create a High King. So that’s magic. Because the source of magic is belief. You know it exists, the way you know wind and rain are real. And so you trust in that belief. Merlin said that: You have to believe.”
“The Grail is more than magic,” Gerard said. “It’s faith. Something you don’t know and can’t prove. You simply have to…have faith. And that’s more powerful than anything Morgain might be able to create.”
Newt made a noise in his throat that might have been a sign of dismay and turned back to grooming Loyal so as not to be drawn further into the discussion.
“You think so, do you?” Ailis’s jaw had fallen open when Gerard had spoken, and she shut it now dramatically. “You, who were treating the Grail like a jousting trophy to be won by force of arms not a fortnight ago?”
Gerard had the decency to blush at that reminder. “Well, I’ll have a chance to find out. Maybe.” And now he was finally able to tell them what he had come to the stable to say in the first place. “Arthur has spoken. I’m to go with the knights on the Quest.”
There was a stunned silence in the stable for a long moment, broken only by the sound of horses biting and chewing their grain. Then Newt smiled. “Haven’t had enough racing about trying to be a hero?”
“Hardly a hero,” Gerard replied. “I’m to be a servant of sorts myself. Fetch-and-carry mostly. I have a lot to learn,” he said, far more humbly than the boy who had started out on a desperate journey weeks before. “Sir Rheynold says it will be years before I can become a knight, and years more after that before I’m ready to go challenge the dragon again.”
“And win,” Ailis said with confidence.
“And win,” Newt agreed.
Gerard smiled, not with bravado but pleasure at the confidence his friends showed in him. “We’ll see. First I have to make my name, somehow, on the Quest, and earn my spurs. Then we’ll see about battling a dragon.”
“Assuming it hasn’t died of old age and boredom by then,” Newt replied. “And don’t expect me to carry your lance or saddle your horse for you, because I have no intention of waiting around that long to see you turn into a dragon-meal.”
“You’ll be coming with us then?” Gerard was grinning.
“We’ll see,” said Newt, picking up a wooden comb and starting to brush out Loyal’s mane. “If I’ve no other plans more interesting.”
You’ll have your own destiny, witch-child, a voice said softly in Ailis’s head, even as she smiled at the now-familiar insults being tossed back and forth between the boys below her. And you’ll show them all what power the old magic can bring….
Ailis hushed the voice, but the echo of the words stayed deep within her. And now it bothered her slightly that she didn’t know if the voice was Merlin’s or Morgain’s. There would be time enough for that later. When the Quest had gone off and Merlin had returned and the queen was paying less attention to what Ailis did and where she went. Gerard and Newt weren’t the only ones who had plans for the future now.
Whatever would happen, it would be because Ailis decided it. She had sneaked out on this last adventure. Next time—and she doubted anything like this would ever happen again—she would be involved from the very beginning. She had earned that, more precious than fancy clothing or softer chores.
When Merlin came back, everything was going to change for her.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Anne Kelleher for her help.
About the Author
LAURA ANNE GILMAN is the author of more than twenty-five short stories and three nonfiction books for teenagers. She also edited two anthologies—OTHERWERE and TREACHERY AND TREASON—and is currently writing the bestselling